1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to golf swing training apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a training device that assists a user in attaining proper eye contact away from the ball during the golf club swing allowing the golfer to maintain a better swing posture thereby assisting in properly hitting the ball with the club head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf is one of the most popular sports games in the United States as well as many other parts of the world. One of the most difficult and yet most important requirements of the game is to keep the players eye contact on a single focus point until the ball has been hit by the head of the golf club. One of the most cherished maxims in sports is “keep your eye on the ball” during the swing. However, in golf that is not always the best way to learn or maintain a good swing that drives the head of the club through the ball. Instead there are a number of schools of thought on where the golfer should focus during the complete swing other than on the ball. These include a point directly behind the ball substantially in line with the target, a point directly in front of the ball substantially in line with the target, and a point in front of the ball and away from the golfer. The concept of focusing on a point other than the ball during the golf swing has been discussed as early as 1946 by Percy Boomer in his seminal golf instruction book On Learning Golf. More currently methods of achieving this non-ball focus point using methods such as “swing-oriented” swing techniques such as taught by James Powers PGA Professional; focusing on a point six to eight inches in front of the ball during the swing as taught by Jeremy Moreno PGA Professional; focusing several inches behind the ball as taught by Art Sellinger President of Long Drivers of America, and Duncan McGillivray Canadian Golf Professional; focusing on a point that is about 2.5 inches in front of and about 1.5 inches away from the golfer as taught by Jim Waldron PGA Professional. While there have been a number of mechanical devices as well as electronic devices designed to assist in improving the golf swing, none have provided a simple means to accomplish the goal of eye contact with a non-ball focus point until after the club head has hit and swung through the ball. However, “keep your eye on the ball” is still the most often recited instruction to golfers learning the game or working on their swing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,198 issued Feb. 13, 1979 to Kanavas, teaches a training device a golfer can attach to his putter to assist in developing accuracy and consistency in his putting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,362 issued Jan. 14, 1992 to Lillard, teaches an impact-sensing device that visually signals the impact of a ball by the sporting implement to which it is attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,205 issued Dec. 5, 1995 to Bouton teaches an electronic device which is connected to a personal computer and which can determine the club head angle of a golf club as it is used to hit a golf ball and report the information to the personal computer.U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,250 issued Jul. 23, 1996 to Putz teaches a mechanical golf ball sighting device for mounting on a golfer's hat brim. The device encourages the golfer to keep his head still and his focus on the ball until the club impacts the ball.U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,965 issued Dec. 2, 1997 to Nighan Jr. et al. teaches a laser device attachable to a golf club shaft to provide a visual aid during a golf swing which is indicative of the user's position.U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,663 issued May 5, 1998 to Calace teaches a mechanical device to be attached to a user by means of a mouthpiece for clamping by the user's teeth and to the user's belt at his back to physically restrain the user's head movement during a golf swing.U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,278 issued Sep. 1, 1998 to Varriano teaches an infrared device for mounting on a user's head to align his eyes with the ball during a swing.U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2003/0104874 published Jun. 5, 2003 to Galanis et al. teaches a golf club head using an electronic infrared sensing system to determine and report the club head angle during a golf swing.U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2004/0014531 published Jan. 22, 2004 to Ziener-Gundersen teaches a device containing at least one microprocessor mountable upon a golf club using a LED or LCD display to show the swing of a club.U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2004/0106092 published Jun. 3, 2004 to Galanis et al. teaches an electronic infrared sensing system mounting in a golf club head to determine and report the club head angle during a golf swing.U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,067 issued Jan. 30, 2007 to Town teaches an electronic device for assisting the golfer to focus on the ball during the swing.There remains a need for a simple, easy to use device for training golfers to develop good eye-hand coordination and to keep eye contact with a predetermined point away from the ball through impact with the ball by a golf club head and completion of the swing without the need for mounting such a device on the golfer or on the golf club.